Water-closet connection



(No Model.)

\ N I J. J. 'RIOKBTTS.

WATER CLOSET CONNECTION.

N0. 566 470; Patented Aug. 25, 1896. Y

UNIT D STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JAMES J. 'RICKETTS, OF PITT SBURG, PENNYLVANIA.

WATER-CLOSET CONNECT-ION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Iletters Patent No. 566,470, dated August Application filed June 19, 1895. Serial l lo- 563,322. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. RICKETTS, a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Closet Connections; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

- My invention relates to connect-ions from pipes to earthenware and like bowls. An ef ficient connecting device between supplypipes and bowls heretofore employed. has been a rubber or like flexible connectin g-tube, of angular or other shape, according to the circumstances, which, by yielding in case of the movement of either the bowl or pipe,would relieve the strain on the earthenware bowl, and so prevent the fracture of same. At the present time, for sanitary reasons, it is customary to have all the connecting-pipes exposed to view, in order to give easy access for repair, power to discover leakage, and ease in cleaning. For the higher class of work it is desirable to have all the exposed parts apparently formed of metal, and to accomplish this metallic sleeves or coverings for the rub.- ber or like connecting-tubes have been omploycd. These have-proven satisfactory, except whcreon account-of the peculiar shapes of the connecting parts it is difficult to apply such metallic sleeves, while in some cases such sleeves increase the diameter of the outer body of the connection to. such an extent as to destroy the symmetry fol the connections.

One of the objects of m-yinvention therefore is to providea connection between the supply and discharge pipes and the water-closet bowl, which in the main portion is formed of metal, and yet one which possesses the requisite flcxibilityat its ends, the rubber which gives such flexibility being entirely concealed from view. r

A further objectof myinvention is to pro vide' for the turning of the metallic sleeve, so that its ends may be connected up to a right or left hand closet, as-the case may be.

To enable others skilled in the art to make ,and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring nying drawings, in WlllCllto the aocompaand a supply-pipe leading thereto and the eonnecting'device between the bowl and supply-pipe. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the connecting device, pipe, and the horn of the bowl, showing its connections with the supply-pipe and horn. Fig. 3 is a view of the connecting-pipe with the rubber sleeve in the bowl thereof and the supply-pipe above the same, illustrating the peculiar connecting joint employed between the supply-pipe and connecting-pipe and showing the method of making the joint between the two pipes. Fig. 4 is a view of the rubber tube employed between the connecting-pipe and spud. Fig.

5 is a viewof the split ring or sleeve. Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures Though the improved connecting device may be employed between the supply-pipe and any form of closet and, where applicable thereto, between the ;bowl and dischargepipe, as in urinals, bath-tubs, '&c., the most difficult form of connection and that to which the invention is especially applicable is the siphon-closet connections, such as illustrated in the drawings, where the supply-pipe extending from the-tank to the bowl is out of line with the center of the bowl and the 00111- munication with the bowl is on an incline,this requiring a peculiar connecting-pipe, having an obtuse angle or elbow at each end thereof.

In the drawings, a is the supply-pipe; b, the bowl, having the horn c, with which the connection is to be made. ing-pipe (Z is preferably formed in two pieces (1' (1 the section (l having the vertical portion'g, which communicates with the supplypipe 0, and the section (Z having the portion 6, inclined correspmiding to the horn c. The section 1.! is of smaller diameter than the section d and a telescope joint is formed between said sections. The section (Z has a slight annular enlargement (i formed thereon, and in the interior of said section, coincident with said enlargement, is formed the annular groove (1. Within this grooved a gasket (1, of rubber or other suitable material, is inserted. 'lhe gasket extends slightly beyond the groove (1, so that when the section d is in serted within the section d a very close watertight joint is formed between the two sections.

Figure 1 is a view of a siphon-closed bowl llowever, the joint between the two sections The metallic connectthereto.

d d is not so tight but that the sections are free to turn, the one within the other. in this way the section at" may be turned to bring its inclined position to cox-r ond to the horn of the closet, whether said. horn be on. the right or left side.

The construction obviates the necessity of the dealers carrying two styles of the metallic sleeves, one for right and. one for left hand closets. These sections (1 d are cast to shape, being generally formed of brass and finished and polished, and, if desired, nic-lcehplated, so as to form part of the exposed pipe connections to the closets.

To form the .llexibie jointbetwecn the sup ply-pipe and the connectingpipe, l employ the rubber ()"lilCG sleeve 72', which tits within the socket at the upper end. of the section (l and has a flange 71 extei'iding over the edge of the socket and which receives the end of the supply-pipe a. As shown in liig. 2}, this rubber sleeve lits loosely in the socket if, its flanges h forming a means of suspending the sleeve in the socket It will also be noticed that the rubber or like elastic sleeve It has straight inner and outer walls up to the flange h, which extends out over the edge oi. the socket. The end of the supply-pipc is also straight and 01": the same l ior d lameter throughout? said. figure that the interior of; the s'lcer 01' smaller diameter than the exterior supply-pipe, this being; intentiona o structcd in this 113 so thatwhcr 4 pipe is forced into the sleeve 7! it same against the inner wall ol the soclmt z, the rubber being compressed between the supply-pipe and socket and a tight joint sul ficient to resist ordinary pressure, or at least sufficient to resist the pressure of the water iiow'lng from the tank, being thus obtained. It is found that the joint so formed by the expanding of the rubber sleeve by the iu:-;crtion of the tube holds so tightly that it can not be withdrawn by a direct pull, and terms a sufficiently strong; union between the pipe and socket to support 'the'connecting-pipe in it will also be noticed in e is proper-position, a neat and simple form of joint'nwhich does not require either the threading or weakening of the suppl y pi pc or the socket being thus obtained, and a joint beingxobtainecl which has sufficient flexibility while maintaining a tight joint to permit of all necessary movement between the connecting-pipeand supply-pipe. The rubber sleeve and its flange it can be covered. andconcealcd by the ferrule 7c, whicl made with the cylindrical portion lilting around the upper end of the socketand the il rwarilllycnicnding flange 715 which extends over the rubber sleeve and conc'cfals' tliig' same, said llange, however, not bearing up n the. supply-pipe, but leaving suillicientspacebetween the supply-pipeand itsinnr edgo to permit of all necessary flcxioir'of'the joint while concealingthe-rubber slepvcwhieh gives flexibility Between the section (Z and the horn of the set any suitable form of flexible joint may l. employed, and for that purpose I have .ll -.ustra ted a joint which. s constructed as tollows: At the lower on d of the section (i .is the mouth and on the in tcrior of this mouth is formed. an annular seat m, corresi oncling in shape to the liange a on the short rubber tube p, the rubber tube lJOlllfI connected to the pipe by a threaded nut 7, screwing onto the pipe and eomprr s ng the flange in the seat in. The opposite end of the rubber tube is connccted to the spud s by a like nut r, and the spud. enters within and forms a tight joint with th horn of the closet. To conceal this rubber tube, I employ a. snort metal sleeve 11, which slips over the moulhgiecelot the connecting-pipe, being slipped upon the same before thc connection is made, and after such connection. is made draw oil? the mouthpiece in position to cover the rubber iubep. This short metallic sleeve fits loosely over the part to be concealed by it and may be held in place by in the nut r, or by other suitable means. This shcctmcial sleeve may be termed of spring sheet metal, and, if desired, divided loiiigitudinally, as at u", so that it can easily be slipped from the socket around the rubber tube. As shown in the drawings, the

nut rlias an annular seat-l to receive the sleeve and hold it in place.

making the joint such as above ee i properly adjusted and secured in place t she t-inctal sleeve w is slipped over the mouthpiece I. The rubber sleeve )1 is then either placed within the socket i of the section it or zt'pz'nulcd around the lower end of supol ipe u, the ferrule 7;- having been ppccl onto said su iplypipe, and. the v Jipc is forced into the rubber sleeve the sleeve is conlincd within the socket sir is brought down upon the socket. The for rule it is then dropped to place, fitting onto the socket. The rubber tube is then eonncctcd to the pipe (.1 and the horn c, as above described, and the sleeve a drawn over the rubber tube, when the joint is completed. When in use, in case oi movement either of the closet or of the supply-pipe, either from the settling of the; floor orwall or from other causes, the two flexible joints by means of which. the metallic coni'iectiug-pipe is united to the supply-pipe and bowl will yield sulficieutly to permit of such movement without closing, the waterway or bringing any unusual strain upon the horn of the closet, the two joints giving all the llexion. necessary to protect the earthenware bowl from injury, and a neat connection. between the supply pipe and earthenware bowl. is thus obtained, which. has the appearance oi a metallic connection, which, as above stated, is very dcf'ootl after the closet and such pipe have which an irregular ply or like-pipe, 21"]11Gllllll0 sirable for all exposed-work, containing all the advantages of a flexible joint, and one by shape of connection-may be easily provided for. p

What I claim as my invention, and desire vto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a bowl and a supconnecting-pipe, flexible connections between the supply-pipe and connecting-pipe and between the connecting-pipe and bowl, and eovorin g metallic sleeves extending over, fitting loosely on, and concealing thei'iexible connections, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a metallic pipe having a socket at one end thereof, a rubber or like elastic sleeve having straight and parallel inner and outer faces in said socket, a metallic pipe having straight and parallel outer faces of greater exterior diameter than the interior diameter of the rubber sleeve, and a metallic ferrule fitting around the socket and having a flange extending inwardly over the sleeve, substantially as setforth.

3. In combination with a metallic pipe having a socket at one end thereof, a rubber or like elastic sleeve fitting looselyin said socket and having an annular flange at its outer end extending over the edge of the socket, a me taliic pipe of greater exterior diameter than and fitting loosely the interior diameter of tne rubber sleeve adapted to enter the same and. expand it against said socket, and a metallic ferrule fitting around the socket and having a flange extending inwardly over the rubber sleeve, said ferrule fitting neatly on the socket but loosely around the pipe entering the rubber sleeve, substantially as set forth.

4:. A metallic connecting-pipe for connectin g up the supply-pipe of a water-closet with the bowl composed -of two sections, eaehof said sections consisting of an inclined body portion and an end piece turned at an angle thereto, said sections having a non-threaded rotary connection with each other, substan tially as set forth. I

5. A metallic connecting-pipe for connecting up the supply-pipe with the bowl composed of two sections, each of said sections consisting of an inclined body portion and an end piece turned at an angle thereto, one of said sections having a flexible gasket secured therein, and the other section entering said first-mentioned section, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JAMES J. RICKETTS, have hereunto set my hand.

. JAMES J. RIOKETTS.

Witnesses R0121. D. TOTTEN, Rosana: O. To'rTEN. 

